


Deep as the Sea

by NextTrickAnvils



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dimimari Week (Fire Emblem), F/M, Misunderstandings, Self-Esteem Issues, Summer Romance, slight angst in the middle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23353912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NextTrickAnvils/pseuds/NextTrickAnvils
Summary: Dimimari Week Day 6: AUMarianne wasn't sure about this vacation. As far as she was concerned all the "change in scenery" was going to do for her was have her be depressed at the beach instead of being depressed at home... then she met Dimitri and everything changed.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Marianne von Edmund
Kudos: 38





	Deep as the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 6 of Dimimari Week: AU
> 
> Once again, got the idea from an OTP prompt generator but I have to admit the idea really ran away from me here. I was not expecting this to get so long.
> 
> Before we start just a quick warning for a brief mention of suicide contemplation at the start. It starts just after "being depressed at home" and the story continues with "Marianne sighed as she began..."
> 
> There's also lots of self-loathing/deprecation going on since it is a part of Marianne's character. Just do what you're comfortable with. :)

“I think a change of scenery will be good for you, Marianne. Especially since you’ll be on your own soon at GMU.”

That was her adopted father’s reasoning for the two to spend the summer at a beach house he recently bought.

Marianne stared out at the sea. Honestly all this “charge of scenery” is doing for her is having her be depressed at the beach instead of being depressed at home.

A small dark part of her wondered what would happen if she just… walked into the ocean and let it carry her away.

Then she thinks about all the time and money her father spent to help her graduate high school and get accepted at Garreg Mach University.

She was a burden, dead or alive.

Marianne sighed as she began to make her way back to the house. But then she felt something smooth and cool on the bottom of her bare foot. She takes a step back and finds what looks like a flat silver colored piece of jewelry.

She picks it up and looks it over, noticing a strange symbol etched into it. It almost reminded her of a star. Her thoughts were then interrupted by a voice calling out to her.

“Excuse me!”

Marianne turned her head and found a young man in the water, waving to her.

What was he doing there? Actually the better question was how he could be there? The house and the beach were privately owned by her father, there shouldn’t be anyone in the water.

Cautiously, Marianne stepped into the water, just far enough not to soak the bottom of her sundress. The young man swam a little closer to her and she began to get a better look at him.

With shining blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a bright smile, he was like a prince from an old storybook. However there was something strange in the way he moved but Marianne couldn’t quite place it.

Soon enough, he was in front of her and Marianne gasped.

The young man did not stand for he did not have legs to stand on. Rather in place of legs was a beautiful blue and black scaled tail with flared fins.

Despite her shock, the young man continued to smile at her.

“I apologize if I startled you. I am Dimitri Alexandre Blayddid, crown Prince of the Kingdom of Faergus.”

Marianne just stared… a real live merperson was in front of her, a prince even! And he was just… politely introducing himself as if this was a perfectly normal meeting between two people.

“I...M-my name is Marianne.”

“Lady Marianne, you wouldn’t happen to have seen a silver charm with a carved symbol would you?”

Marianne blinked and glanced at the silver object she had found.

“Oh, is this yours?” She asked as she handed the charm to Dimitri

He gently takes it, looks it over, and a relieved expression crosses his face.

“Ah, yes, thank you! I was worried I had truly lost it.”

“Is it important?”

“It was a gift from my father. The symbol is our family crest.”

Marianne could tell from just his tone of voice that that charm was the only thing Dimitri had left of his father… she could relate.

Dimitri cleared his throat, breaking Marianne out of her thoughts.

“Well… I… Once again, I thank you so much for finding this but I must be on my way now.”

“Wait!”

Dimitri stared at her in surprise and even Marianne was shocked by her actions but regardless, she continued.

“C-can I see you again? Here, near the beach, maybe around sunrise tomorrow?”

She couldn’t help but worry that she did something wrong when Dimitri didn’t answer right away.

“I...I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...”

“Yes.”

Now it was Marianne’s turn to stare at Dimitri. The blonde boy blushed and nervously laughed.

“I admit I do not have much experience speaking with humans but I wouldn’t mind learning more from you. I will see you tomorrow then.”

Marianne nodded and Dimitri turned around and dived into the water, presumably returning to where he came from.

...Maybe this change of scenery was a good idea after all.

* * *

As soon as her phone alarm went off, Marianne sat up in her bed to turn it off.

She then got herself properly dressed and very quietly made her way outside.

Once again she walked as far into the ocean she could without getting her clothes wet. Marianne’s mind wandered as she waited for Dimitri. From thoughts of how silly she must look to wondering what she would do if Dimitri truly arrived.

She did not have to wait long though because soon enough she caught a glimpse of golden hair and blue scales.

Dimitri smiled as he swam towards her, “Lady Marianne! You arri...”

His smile dropped as a look of confusion crossed his face.

“I-is something the matter?”

“You look different. How did you…?”

Different? How was she…? Oh! He was referring to her clothes. Instead of the sundress she wore yesterday, she had put on an oversized shirt with some shorts.

“I just changed clothes, that’s all. I suppose your people don’t really...”

Then to Marianne’s surprise, Dimitri touched one of her legs. She attempted to back away but instead ended up falling over. She wasn’t deep enough into the water where she couldn’t keep her head up but her clothes were now completely soaked.

“Lady Marianne! Are you alright!? I apologize for my behavior, I’ve never...”

Before Dimitri could further babble an apology, Marianne began to laugh.

“L-Lady Marianne?”

“Please, just call me, Marianne and don’t worry, I’m okay.”

Dimitri seemed relieved, not just that Marianne was alright but that also he didn’t need to be so formal with her.

“Marianne then. I still apologize for startling you. I’d seen humans in different… “clothes” is what you called them? I had always assumed that they were a part of you. So they’re more akin to jewelry, I see.”

“You’re familiar with jewelry but not clothes?” Marianne asked with a laugh

With that the two spent the morning talking to each other and learning about the other.

Marianne did her best to answer all the questions Dimitri had about humans since he was a boy. While Dimitri told her of his Kingdom and the court of the Blue Lion Fish.

“It sounds beautiful. I wish I could see it.”

“And I wish I could show it to you. But for now, I am happy enough to speak with you.”

Marianne blushed and looked away.

“That… surely there’d be better conversation companions. I’m… not very interesting.”

Nevermind the fact that _she_ was the one who wanted to talk to _him_.

Dimitri just smiled, “You’re the first human I’ve ever met face to face. I’d say you’re plenty interesting.”

Marianne could feel her blush becoming redder and warmer then she quickly stood up.

“I-I should leave… I mean I should head back home. My father will probably be waking up soon and I don’t want him to worry.”

“Will you come back again?”

“I...I...”

Looking at his earnest expression, Marianne found it difficult to say “no.”

“...Yes…I’ll meet you here at the same time tomorrow. Good-bye Dimitri...”

“Until then, Marianne.”

Marianne waved good-bye as Dimitri dived into the water then with some difficulty due to her wet clothes, headed back to the beach house. She managed to sneak back into her room and shed the damp heavy clothes before she could hear her father walking by.

“Marianne? Are you awake?”

“Y-yes father! I just need to take a shower.”

“Alright then, don’t take too long. I wanted us to go to the Boardwalk for breakfast.”

“I won’t.”

Marianne steps into the adjacent bathroom and begins to fiddle with the hot and cold handles.

_“I’d say you’re plenty interesting.”_

He was just saying that to be nice… he had to be, right? But then again… what reason would he have to lie to her like that?

_“But for now, I am happy enough to speak with you.”_

He said she was the first human he’s ever met and talked to. Maybe that’s it. He doesn’t have anyone to compare to her. If he met other humans, he’d realize she wasn’t someone he should bother with…

...Maybe she shouldn’t bother meeting him again. He said he was a prince right? That means he probably has so many more important things to do than talk with some sad human girl…

And yet… she felt an even greater sadness over the idea of not seeing him again…

* * *

It quickly became routine as the summer went on.

Wake up early, get dressed (though after that first day, Marianne started wearing her bathing suit rather than her everyday clothes), go out and greet Dimitri.

Their conversations started out learning each other’s cultures but before long the topics started to shift towards themselves.

Marianne was hesitant to answer some of Dimitri’s questions and would often attempt to change the subject.

But Dimitri was no fool and it hurt her to see that disappointed expression on his face when he realized she would not answer the question. But he was better off not knowing how cursed she was. Marianne wanted to hold onto this little friendship she’s gained.

Then one morning when she came out to greet him and to her surprise, he swam towards her closer and closer to the shore til he was barely in the water and practically kneeling (for lack of a better word) before her.

“Dimitri… what are you...”

He takes one of her hands and looks up at her with those piercing blue eyes.

“Marianne… I do not know what I have done wrong but please allow me to make amends. I know that every time I try to get to know you better, you avoid my questions in one way or another. Whatever foolish thing I said to offend you, I apologize. I still enjoy our talks and I never want to hurt you and...”

“No! Please, it’s not your fault! Don’t blame yourself for my… it’s just...”

“Just…?”

“You don’t want to know about the real me… I don’t… I don’t want you to leave once you knew the truth...”

“...Tell me… please. I swear I will not leave.”

Marianne begins to tear up as she kneels down and faces him.

“I… four years ago… I fell sick and my parents went out to get medicine for me...and that was the last time I saw them. Ever since then my life has been nothing but a string of misfortunes. I was adopted by a family friend because none of my relatives wanted me, they saw me as a cursed child. What few friends I had, I slowly lost them because they became scared of being cursed by me. When you started asking about me… I was afraid that you would do the same… once you learned what I am...”

“I see...”

Marianne looks away from Dimitri and down her lap, afraid to see his reaction. But then she noticed that he hadn’t let go of her hand and that he had started brushing it with his thumb.

“To be honest… I’ve actually begun to see you as a lucky charm of sorts.”

“Lucky? Me? Y-you’re just saying that...”

“No, I’m serious. Ever since I was a boy, I had been curious about humans and wanted to learn more about them but I never had a chance, until I met you. Not only that but thinking of you, Marianne, has helped me through difficult days with the Courts and Kingdom.”

Marianne blushed but said nothing.

“...But I understand. The guilt of being the one left behind and wondering if you should have died with the others.”

She looks up in surprise and sees a melancholic expression on Dimitri.

“How did you know?”

Dimitri looks down, his free hand touching the charm engraved with his family’s crest.

“My father and my step-mother… along with a dear friend… they lost their lives protecting the kingdom from an attack. The friend in particular… he died, protecting me. So in that way… you and I are the same.”

The same… they were the same… has she truly… found someone who understood? For reasons she didn’t quite understand, Marianne pulled Dimitri closer to her and into an embrace.

“...Thank you… Dimitri.”

* * *

After their little heart-to-heart, things started to change but that wasn’t a bad thing.

Marianne began to feel more comfortable speaking to Dimitri, their daily talks became something she greatly looked forward to.

Even her father started to notice her uplifted mood.

“What did I say, Marianne? I knew this trip would be good for you!”

Though thankfully her mood was the only thing he seemed to notice. Dimitri recently had started bringing a small wet pouch and giving Marianne gifts from it. They were all simple things like shimmering stones, shells, sea glass, and even a pearl on one occasion.

While Dimitri, thankfully, didn’t give her something every time they spoke, it did get to the point where she had to get a box to hide his gifts.

Despite that, she appreciated each and every one.

* * *

Summer was almost over and that meant that soon she and her father would have to return home.

She wouldn’t be able to go to the beach and talk with Dimitri anymore.

Marianne told him as much at the start of their last week. She didn’t want their good-bye to be sudden and she wanted to make the most of their last days.

Despite knowing their time was limited, most of the week played out as it usually did.

Then came the last day… at first nothing was different but Marianne could tell something was on Dimitri’s mind. At first she simply thought it was just the knowledge that Marianne would be leaving but then…

“Marianne… I have something to give you… if you will accept it.”

Dimitri takes the same old pouch he had carried all his previous gifts in, opens it, and presents to Mariane, a beautiful necklace decorated with blue gemstones.

“Dimitri, it’s beautiful...” Marianne says as she reaches for it

“Wait. You need to know what this is before you take it. I do not wish to put a burden you do not want upon you. You see... it isn’t just a piece of jewelry, not just another gift. This is a betrothal necklace.”

Betrothal… necklace… wait… as in…?

“I don’t know when it happened but… somewhere along the way, I had fallen in love with you Marianne.”

“D-Dimitri...”

“I know. We’re from different worlds and I know there’s the question of how we would make this work but… I know there has to be a way… and no matter how difficult, I will find that way because I cannot see myself with anyone else but you. With that said, I understand if you do not wish to accept. I just could not let you go without telling you how much you mean to me.”

Marianne stared at him.

Dimitri loved her…

Not just loved her but he wanted to marry her!

He was ready to face any challenge if it meant they could be together…

A part of her wanted to say “no.” A part of her was afraid of the uncertainty. A part of her was afraid of what this could mean for their futures.

But a part of her thinks of how he gave her a kind ear to listen. A part of her thinks of how comfortable she feels around him. How happy he made her over this summer.

...Whatever challenges they would face… it would be worth it…

“Yes! I accept, Dimitri.”

She had never seen a brighter smile from him as he swam closer and helped her put the necklace on. Dimitri brushes away her wet hair and moves closer and closer. Marianne relaxes and sighs as he kisses her.

As soon they pull away, Marianne rests her forehead on his.

“I’ll come back. I promise. Next summer, we’ll meet here at the same time and place.”

“...I will count the days til you return, my Beloved.”

* * *

Marianne had been initially scared of the idea of Garreg Mach University and well… she was still scared but it was more a nervous kind of scared.

As she looked at the door to her dorm room, Marianne placed her hand on the betrothal necklace, Dimitri gave to her. Hoping that maybe it would give her the good luck Dimitri always seemed to see in her.

She knocks on the door and is greeted with a “Coming!~”

The door opens up and in front of Marianne is a very fashionable young woman with pink hair tied in twintails.

“Um… this is Room 726, right?”

“Yup, you must be my roomie! I’m Hilda Goneril, nice to meet’cha!” The pink haired girl said as she offered her hand to shake

“S-same to you. I’m Marianne Von Edmund.” Marianne responded as she shook her roommate’s hand

Marianne suddenly felt very self-conscious as Hilda looked her over, even more so when the girl gasped.

“Oh my gosh, where did you get this necklace!? It’s gorgeous!”

“Oh, i-it was a gift.”

“Well do you know where they got it from!? I’ve got bit of an interest in jewelry-making and...”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know where specifically he got it from. But I could ask him when I see him again next summer.”

“Please!”

* * *

Marianne’s first year at GMU went by in a blur but she wouldn’t say it wasn’t exciting.

Despite their completely different personalities, she and Hilda got along wonderfully. Then through Hilda she made more friends. Claude was a friendly-enough young man with a mischievous side, Lorenz had his social blind spots as Hilda called them but Marianne could tell his heart was in the right place. 

Ignatz and Raphael were both very sweet in their own ways, the former recognizing when Marianne needed some quiet and the latter always ready to offer a smile and a snack.

Lysithea was a teenager who got into GMU via a young geniuses scholarship. She was stubborn and could be a bit strict about everyone’s study habits but she was a good study buddy and she knew all the best local sweet shops. Finally there was Leonie, a member of GMU’s archery team along with Claude. She was a bit competitive and probably even more stubborn than Lysithea but she was always there to support everyone.

All together, they formed a little group that Claude liked to call The Golden Deer.

Marianne truly felt wanted and cared for among the Deer but as much as she loved her new found friends, her thoughts often drifted to Dimitri and how excited she was to tell him everything she had experienced over the last year.

She couldn’t help but smile as she and her father drove to the beach house.

* * *

As soon as her phone alarm went off, Marianne sat up in her bed to turn it off. She quickly but quietly put on her bathing suit and also made sure to put on Dimitri’s necklace.

As usual, she made her way outside but as she looked out at the ocean… She saw no sign of Dimitri.

That was odd… after their first few meetings, he was usually the one to arrive first.

...Well it’s possible he might be busy, taking care of his kingdom, she just needed to be patient.

So she waited…

...And waited…

...And waited…

...And… wai...ted...

“Marianne!?”

Marianne sat up… when had she fallen asleep? She looked over to the voice calling her name and saw her father running towards her.

“Mariane!? What are you doing out here!? I was so worried when I saw you weren’t in your room.”

She looked around in confusion, she was still on the beach but the sun had long since risen and she and her father were the only souls near the shore.

“...I...”

Marianne felt her father pull her up to her feet as he exclaimed his worries, “I understand you’re excited for this vacation but you still need to be careful! What if the tide came in and dragged you away!? And why were you wearing that necklace!? I know you said it was a gift from a friend but swimming with it on sounds like a terrible way to lose it!”

She barely heard a word her father said to her, all she could think of was the fact that Dimitri never came…

* * *

It had to have been a mistake.

Maybe he didn’t realize she was here yet?

So she continued her usual routine and waited for him.

He did not arrive on the next day…

...Or the next day…

...Or the next day…

Soon enough a week had passed and still no sign of Dimitri.

...He said he'd stay with her...

* * *

After a month of waiting… Marianne removed the alarm on her phone and put the necklace in her box of trinkets.

* * *

“What!? You didn’t see him all summer!? What a jerk!” Hilda shouted

As soon as Hilda and Marianne met up again at Garreg Mach, Hilda knew something was wrong and offered a listening ear.

“Least he could have done is like send you a message that he couldn’t hang out. If somebody did that to me? You know what I’d do?” Hilda continued on with a mouthful of pastry

“Well… he couldn’t exactly message me... It was probably my fault anyway... people tend to drift away from me...”

“It is not your fault, I promise you! No one should leave a lady hanging like that, no matter what their dumb reason! Listen Marianne, you don’t need someone who would lead you on. You’ve got me and Claude and all the rest of the Deer and we’ll always have your back, no matter what!”

Marianne smiled, “Thank you, Hilda.”

* * *

The next summer, Marianne did not return to that beach.

Nor did she return in the summer after that.

===

“What!?”

Marianne stared at her friends, unsure if she had heard their suggestion right.

“I’m saying we should all stay at your family’s beach house for the summer. One last hoorah for The Golden Deer before we all gotta go out in the world and be grown-ups.” Hilda said

“I...But why me? Er… why my father’s beach house?”

Was there even enough room for all eight of them?

One by one, each of them offered their reasons.

Both Leonie and Ignatz’s families obviously couldn’t afford a big fancy summer home, and Raphael’s family owned an inn but it would be too busy with the vacation season to save rooms for them. 

Lysithea’s home was too small and she didn’t want to bother her parents, Lorenz was on thin ice with his father due to the older man not approving of his son’s new relationship, Claude’s parents lived in Almyra and not everyone in the group had passports, he had also said his Grandfather and Uncle were not a good idea due to them being workaholics and likely would have roped everyone into helping them with the business, and finally Hilda’s reason was just that she didn’t want to deal with her over-protective brother.

“...I don’t know...”

Even as everyone gave their reasons for why this would be a great idea and even offering compromises to make room for everyone, all Marianne could think of was the beach… of Dimitri…

But… she has had a couple years to process what happened. Maybe returning to the beach and having her friends by her side was she needed to finally move on.

“...Alright, let’s do it!”

Everyone cheered as they all pulled Marianne into one big group hug.

* * *

Marianne opened her eyes and much to her confusion, everything was still dark.

She sat up in her bed and looked over at her phone… it figures that even without the alarm that she’d end up waking up at her old usual time.

Every part of her was saying that she should just go back to sleep and yet…

She quietly put on a sundress ( _not the same one she wore that day_ ) and even pulled out the betrothal necklace from her box of trinkets.

Marianne tiptoed through the house, careful to not wake up her friends, especially those sleeping on cots in the living room and eventually made her way outside.

She took deep breaths as she walked along the shore and let the waves crash over her bare feet.

Memories flooded her mind of that first summer.

Meeting Dimitri, teaching him about human culture and society and learning about his in return, him calling her a lucky charm, the gifts he gave her…

At that thought, Marianne places a hand over the necklace he gave her on that last day.

_“...Somewhere along the way, I had fallen in love with you, Marianne.”_

_“...I cannot see myself with anyone but you...”_

_“I shall count the days til you return, my Beloved.”_

Marianne sighed, even after all these years, she didn’t understand why he never came back.

But even though her friends had always liked to refer to him as “That Jerk,” Marianne couldn’t find it in herself to hate him.

She looks over at the ocean, eyes closed and hand still on the necklace…

“Dimitri… wherever you are… I hope you’re happy.”

Marianne stood there silently but eventually decided it was time for her to go back.

Then suddenly she heard something.

She turned to the noise and found something… no… **SOMEONE** washing up on shore.

She immediately sees their massive blue tail as she rushes towards the body. This was… one of Dimitri’s people!

Marianne kneels down and moves the body to get a look at their face and for a moment… she wonders if she’s dreaming.

It was the same shining blonde hair but longer and messier, the tail was bigger and littered with slashes and cuts but the color and pattern was familiar, their right eye was covered by a large scar but Marianne gently lifted the lid of the other eye and was faced with that same piercing blue.

It seemed impossible but… somehow Dimitri had finally come back to her and he needed her help.

Marianne stands right up and begins to drag him towards the beach house. But she only had enough strength to get him just enough to be away from the tide. It became clear to her that she could not do this alone.

She ran as fast as she could back to the beach house and slammed the door open. Those who weren’t awoken by that were quickly awakened by Marianne’s panicked cries.

“Everyone please! Please wake up! I need your help!”

“M-Marianne? What time is it?” mumbled Lysithea

Marianne ignored the question as she shook Raphael awake and then quickly made her way to the room Hilda was staying in..

“Hilda! Hilda! Please wake up, it’s important!”

“What? What’s important? You have to tell us before we can help.” Added Leonie as she stretched out of her cot.

Hilda opened the door and rubbed at her eyes.

“Marianne? What’s going…?”

But before she could finish, Marianne took her wrist and dragged her to the living room and from there, grabbed Raphael’s wrist.

“Ignatz please fill up the bathtub, I’ll explain everything but we need to hurry!”

Marianne did not stay behind to see if her friend did as she asked. She dragged Raphael and Hilda outside when the two managed to break her hold.

“What’s going on, Marianne!? What’s got you so worried?” Raphael asked

“It’s… it’s Dimitri… I mean… the boy I met that summer...”

That seemed to have finally woken Hilda up.

“What!? That jerk decided to finally show his face!? Ohhh, I’m gonna teach him not to break my friend’s heart!”

“No, Hilda! He’s not… he needs our help! Please follow me!”

Marianne ran off towards where she left Dimitri as Raphael and Hilda followed her. The two gasped as they finally reached Dimitri’s body.

“Is that…?” asked Hilda

“Whoa! Mermaids are real!? My little sis is gonna freak out!” exclaimed Raphael

Marianne pleadingly looked at them, “He needs help and I can’t carry him by myself.”

With no further explanation needed, Raphael grabbed Dimitri by the end of his tail while Hilda supported his head and shoulders. While there was some struggle, the two managed to get him into the beach house where Claude was waiting just outside.

“There you are, I woke up to absolute chaos! Lorenz is complaining about his beauty sleep, Leonie and Lysithea won’t tell me anything, and Ignatz is filling up the tub and… what… is that…?” Claude asked

“So apparently Marianne’s summer boyfriend was a mermaid… or merman or person… WHATEVER! Just get outta the way, Claude! He’s heavy!”

Everything from there was a big noisy blur until finally Dimitri was brought to the bathtub.

From there, Marianne pulled out a first aid kit from one of the bathroom cabinets and began to work on Dimitri. She wasn’t sure what to do with his tail besides bandaging it but hopefully his human half was similar enough to a regular human.

The rest of the Deer watched in various stages of surprise and shock as Marianne cared for Dimitri.

“So… when were you gonna tell us about this?” Asked Leonie

“...I figured you wouldn’t have believed me.”

“We… Actually… She does have a point.” Remarked Lysithea

“Do you want to be alone, Marianne?” asked Ignatz

She simply nodded and could hear as everyone started to walk away. Marianne sighed as she pushed away Dimitri’s bangs from his eye. What in the world could have happened to him?

“Please wake up Dimitri, please be okay. There’s so much I want to say to you.”

* * *

Marianne wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep just that she had woken up by a strained voice calling out to her.

“B-Beloved?”

She raised her head and found Dimitri awake and staring at her.

“Dimitri...”

Marianne inched closer over the tub until Dimitri could gently bring her to his lips. Even though they had only shared just the one kiss before, she still missed this.

As they pulled away, the two got a chance to truly look over each other.

“You’ve changed.” said Dimitri

“So have you… what happened? I waited for you years ago and you never arrived.”

Guilt and shame covered Dimitri’s features.

“I was betrayed. A sorceress in the Court staged a coup, she was assisted by my step-sister. I was even captured and they had planned to execute me but I was saved by my closest friends. Unfortunately we were all forced to scatter in the chaos… I have not seen them since then and for all I know, the witch has long since found them and executed them.”

Marianne wasn’t sure what to say to that. All this time, Dimitri had been suffering while Marianne had just been…

As if sensing her thoughts, Dimitri raised one of his hands and caressed her cheek.

“Please do not blame yourself, Beloved. You had no way of knowing and I do not blame you for believing that I had abandoned you. But please believe me when I say that I desperately wished to see you at least one more time.”

Marianne let out a long sigh as she took the hand on her cheek and began to cry.

“I’m so sorry for ever doubting you. I still love you… so… so much.”

“And I, you.”

Dimitri needed to heal but when that was done… Marianne didn’t know how but no matter how difficult it may be, she would find a way to help him.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr @ https://nexttrickanvils.tumblr.com/ and Twitter @ https://twitter.com/NextTrickAnvils


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